Vampire: The Masquerade - Hunter or Hunted
by Xenolord
Summary: It started off as an innocent mistake. She had gotten careless feeding, and now everything spirals out of control. With Vampire Hunters and her own kind hounding her, how will she ever survive another night?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire the Masquerade, or Madoka Magica.

Author's Note: I wanna blame Electric Ecclectic for this one.

Vampire: the Masquerade

Hunter Or Hunted

Prologue

_Welcome to Mitakihara. City of Light and City of Opportunity. It is a city of countless hopes and dreams, and countless amounts of misery and despair. In another time, another world, it was a city besieged by creatures that embodied both misery and hope. Magic and sorcery. Now it is home to another breed of demon, another breed of monster. This Mitakihara is not a world of hope. It is not a world of despair. But it is still... very much so... a World of Darkness._

I stood, paralyzed. My eyes locked with hers, those pink orbs alight in a mix of fear and questions with no answers. I stood, unable to speak or move, crimson pellets dripping from my teeth as my mouth hung open, the two wounds on the neck of the woman I held in my arms a smoking gun to my true nature. I had tried to hide it for so long... I had tried to be as best a friend as I could to her, to be there for her when she needed me, and to pick her up when she fell.

However... here I was; laid bare for her, naked and exposed without the protective veil of the Masquerade to shield her eyes from my true, bestial nature. I could see it in her eyes, fighting with her instinct to run, using all of her willpower to keep her legs in one place. I had hidden my pallid skin behind a lie of just being 'naturally pale'. I had hidden my refusal to eat as simply 'not being hungry'. I had hidden my aversion to the sun by claiming a night job, sleeping in the day to be rested for the graveyard shift. How can I hide this from her? How can I explain this away? How on God's earth can I think up an excuse for _this_ that would be even remotely believable?

My voice quivered in my throat. This isn't how I wanted her to find out. I blinked quickly, afraid she would be gone when I next open my eyes. I slowly licked the two wounds on the girl's neck to close them, slowly dropping her to the ally floor, careful not to injure her. She took a step back as I took one forward. My lips finally found my voice hiding beneath my tongue, and spoke one word.

"Madoka..." Her feet fleeing at my sight preceeded any more that could be said. Screaming bloody murder, the pink haired girl fled into the streets. Shit. I had to think fast. Leaping onto the nearest dumpster, I bounced off and grabbed hold of the fire escape to the nearby building, pulling myself, hand over hand, up the ladder, I scampered up the stairs to the roof. It would be the best hiding spot I could find, and it would avail me sight of the ground below.

As I thought... I watched the pink haired girl, now but a speck on the street below, flee down the road as if the devil himself were after her. Jumping across the gap between the buildings, I followed her, trying to stay out of sight. Moving as far away from that alley was best, it was only a matter of time before the police caught on. It was in that second my phone rang. Fumbling in my pocket for it, I finally answered it.

"Good evening." _SHIT._ I thought loudly to myself, the voice of my Sire coming over the phone. "How does the night find you?"

"I need some advice..." I spoke calmly, jumping another gap between buildings.

"Oh?" Her smooth voice returned. "How can I be of assistance?"

"Hypothetically..." I began. She knew very well that when I said 'hypothetically', it was never hypothetical. "Hypothetically speaking... what's the best course of action if some Kine were to... say... see me feeding?" I could almost hear the scowl her lips took on.

"You got careless."

"Yes, yes I know..." I mused, vaulting over an air conditioning unit, splitting my attention between the phone, the pink haired speck, and the phone.

"The Prince won't like this."

"Balls to the Prince." I responded. "Just tell me what to do."

"You're going to have to take care of the Kine who saw you." I knew she would say this.

"Okay, next hypothetical situation for you. What if this particular Kine is a friend of yours?" I heard her sigh.

"How many times have I told you?"

"Spare me the 'don't make friends with Kine' lecture, god dammit, and help me out! I'm in trouble here!"

"You petitioned the Prince to Sire, yes?"

"Three weeks ago! He hasn't gotten back to me." I heard her mutter something indiscernible.

"Well... you've got three options here. You can either kill her, if you think you've got the stomach for it." I groaned at this. I know that I shouldn't have a qualm with sacrificing a tiny bit of my Humanity for the Masquerade but... she was my friend. "Or... if you don't think you can do that, you can turn her into a Ghoul..."

"Which is going to be fucking hard now that she knows I'm a GOD DAMN VAMPIRE!" I heard her nod a bit on the other end.

"Which brings us to option three... you're going to have to take the risk with Embracing her."

"Great... how do I do that, exactly?"

"That's easy. All you do is drain her, then feed her a bit of your blood." Fine-freakin'-margin of error on that one... I nodded to her advice anyway.

"Thank you. I'll let you know how everything goes tonight." She muttered something before hanging up. Leaping over another gap, I watched the girl stagger into one of the apartment buildings, her own. She was running home, probably to hide in her room, if I were to take a gander. She doesn't think I know where she lived, but I took care to learn that when I first met her, on the off-chance this kind of thing happened. I got lazy, I know. Dammit, it's just one of those things you think gets easier, but it never does...

Jumping off the ledge of the building, I dropped back to street level, watching the apartment complex. I have a good idea what she's probably doing right now. Probably hopped on the computer to put her thoughts down on paper or, if I'm VERY unlucky, internet. Sprinting across the road, I did the dumpster-to-fire escape trick again, climbing back up the fire escape to the window right outside Madoka's room. I had gotten there just in time to see her slam the door shut and lock it behind her. She took a few moments to catch her breath before sitting on her bed. As she started to turn, I hid out of the sight of the window as she moved. A few seconds after, I heard the window open and she sighed.

"What the hell did I just see..." Grappling the window with a hand, I stopped her from closing it.

"Something you shouldn't have, I'm afraid..." I mused as she recoiled. Stepping into the window, I shut it behind her. "I tried to hide that little part of me from you, Madoka... I'm sorry you had to see it."

"Just what are you!?" She barked loudly, backing up to the door.

"Polite society would call me Kindred, but in your book, Vampire works just as well." I continued. "You are really not supposed to know we exist."

"Then why are you telling me this?"

"Because..." I spoke once more, putting a hand on her shoulder. "In about four hours, you'll know we exist anyway." Fear overcame her as I put both hands on her shoulders. "It'll be a lot easier on me if you don't scream." Yanking her towards me, I opened my mouth and sank both fangs into her neck, her cool, crimson blood sliding down my throat. She struggled for a bit, her feet trying to find purchase on the ground to flee from me. I continued to drink until her struggling slowed to a miserable pace, her body too weak to continue fighting. As the last of her life drained away, she spoke a final word before silence claimed her.

"Sa...ya...ka..."

-Hours Later-

It's been four hours since I started... I had called the Prince earlier to inform him of what came to pass and my decision. He wishes to see me when Madoka awakens. He's pretty chill for a Ventrue, and understands that to protect the Masquerade, sometimes we must make some exceptions to the rules. I can't get it out of my head that he's going to have some choice words for me but... I'll take it. I looked at the clock worried. When I was sired into this world, I was awake by now... why is it taking her so long...?

A groan and a rustle from the bed drew my attention from the window. Drawing the curtains, I walked to her and watched. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, her pink eyes falling on me. She groaned and laughed.

"Hey Sayaka... mornin'... man, I had the weirdest dream about you last night..." I looked at my watch once more.

"It's midnight, actually, and whatever dream you had, I assure you was no dream." She blinked at me.

"Wait... are you..."

"Really a Vampire?" I muttered, the girl's eyes going wide. "Yes." She tried to protest. "Before you say anything, Madoka, there are a few things you need to know. I didn't do what I did because I hated you... or because I had some grudge against you... I did what I did... because I had no choice."

"What... did you do?"

"I had two choices..." I took my seat once more. "I could either kill you to protect our society... or I welcome you into it..." I chose option two.

"Welcome me... into what?"

"Welcome you to the world of the undead, of course."

"Wait... you..." She nearly threw herself off the bed. "You did WHAT to me!?"

"Calm down." I spoke simply. "You need to be calm for me to help you. Yes. I turned you into a Vampire. You're going to be angry, but I think after you hear what I have to say, you'll change your mind." I paused. "You saw me feeding this evening. Careless mistake on my part. I didn't want you to know what I was until I knew for certain you wouldn't shun and hate me."

"You need to know what you are. The rules and regulations you need to follow. I'm not going to tell you like my Sire told me, because it was too winded. I'll give you the short version. First, you're cursed now, make no mistake. One of the Damned and the fallen. The rest of humanity CAN'T know about our existence. If they know we Kindred exist, we don't stand a chance..." Madoka held her head.

"Why am I so weak... and why do I find this whole thing strangely believable..."

"You're weak because you've not fed yet. We'll get to that in a second. As to why you find it believable... you know it to be true, simply. Haven't you always told me there was something out there? Just out of eyesight, just out of reach, that you couldn't quite explain?" She nodded. "You've known that, because you've been friends with that thing just out of reach, that think you couldn't quite explain for three years now." I paused to reconcile my thoughts. Next... next...

"Next thing you need to know, is don't kill when you feed. You can't kill innocents, or you'll go insane..." I looked at her. "Can you feel it? In your chest?" She placed a hand to her chest and grimaced.

"I... sense something..."

"That's the Beast. Think of it as a wild animal coiled around your heart and mind, just waiting for a chance to take control. Two ways to keep the beast in check. Keep fed, and keep in touch with your humanity. Easiest way to keep in touch with your humanity, is don't kill when you feed."

"But... won't someone become a Vampire if I feed on them... I mean... I did..."

"No no. What I did was different. Forget everything you know about Vampires from comic books and movies, it's all horse shit." I paused for a second. "Except the sunlight caveat... that's still around." I smiled to her. "Just think about it, though. Remember a few nights ago, when you said you wanted to remain twenty seven and beautiful your whole life?" She nodded. "Boom, wish granted." She smiled a little. "Plus, that's just for starters! You've got a whole range of things that put you right above humans on the proverbial food chain."

"Oh?" She seemed interested now. "Like what?"

"Sharper senses... a body that can take a hell of beating... the eternal life I mentioned before..."

"So I'm going to live forever."

"D'eh..." I mused, shrugging. "I mean, hypothetically, yea... but don't let that fool you. You can still be destroyed, but you're not going to just croak one day randomly, and you won't age. Speaking of being destroyed, again, forget the books. Crosses? Worthless. Garlic? Also worthless. A stake? That's a slight problem, but only if it catches you in the heart... and even then, it just paralyzes you until it's removed. Now fire? Fire's a problem. A shotgun blast to the head? That'll leave you in pain for a bit. Sunlight? Well... I hope you've seen a sunrise recently, because you'll never get to see one again, got it?"

She nodded. Despite the look of confusion on her face, she seemed to hid a bit of understanding, as well, like she's always known, but doesn't know how confirmation feels. "So... you've been a Vampire the whole time..."

"We prefer the term 'Kindred', but yeah, pretty much." Madoka blinked.

"Is that why you're all pale and stuff..." I nodded once more.

"Madoka, I know you've got a million questions right now, but honestly? You and I have somewhere we need to be, and he really... _really_ does not like to be kept waiting... I'll answer all your questions when we get back..."

"Where are we going?"

"You and I are taking a little trip to meet the Prince of the Mitakihara Kindred."


	2. Welcome to the Family

Chapter One: Welcome to the Family

Our shoe heels clacked against the tile floor as we followed a path I had ingrained into my soul since my first night. Madoka looked around, thoroughly confused. "Why are we _here_?" She asked perplexed. I said nothing except what I had said before we left, that we were going to see the Prince. She looked at all the men and women in white coats walking about the halls like they owned the place, trying to figure out why we where in this place, of all places. We stepped into an elevator and pressed a button, the door shutting at the tube ascending to the requested floor, number twenty three.

"This is a hospital."

"I'm so glad your time amongst the Kindred has not robbed you of your ability to make deductions." She scowled at me as we continued up, her bangs falling about her face in a cute, albeit skewed pattern. With a ding, the elevator opened, revealing several more nurses walking about.

"Aren't we outside of regular visitation hours?" She continued.

"Ideally, yes... however**,** who we're going to see doesn't keep regular visitation hours." We continued down the hall, and I counted each room to my right as we went.

Five... six... seven... and eight...

Reaching the eighth door on the right, I pushed the call button.

"Come in." Came a young voice from across the threshold. I pushed down on the handle and shoved the door open, showing Madoka in first. The room was decorated with the usual hospital garb**:** drab sheets and curtains; small, uncomfortable chairs of questionable stability; and small tables with flowers on them. Standing near a bed, dressed in a white suit, was a figure of about my stature and height, probably about my age before his Embrace, as well."Ah. So good of you to arrive in such a timely fashion, Sayaka. Is this your Childe, I take it?"

I nodded.

"It is, my Prince... I apologize about not waiting for your response to my petition but... she forced my hand."

"Nonsense..." The young man turned, his gray hair befitting more of a man twice his age. "You were pushed into a corner. I would expect any Kindred to do the same in your predicament..." He closed the distance between himself and Madoka, looking her over. "You're Madoka Kaname, yes?" Madoka nodded to the man and swallowed hard, the figure laughing. "Don't be so scared. Was Sayaka a good Sire? Did she tell you the important things?"

"Most of them..." I admitted. "I was a bit rushed to get over here." He nodded to my addition.

"Good enough. My name is Kyosuke Kamijo... Prince of Mitakihara."

"So... are you like... _royalty_...?" Madoka asked, the young man laughing.

"No, no no. I'm not a ruler, exactly**...** I'm more like a... public servant. My job is to see the laws of our society are upheld..." I saw a familiar flicker in Madoka for a second... I moved into position behind her before she toppled over. "My my... so much so in a hurry, you cannot stand to feed the girl." Kyosuke mused with a smile upon his visage. He walked steadily over to a call box on the bedside and pushed a button. "Saiyuri, would you please come in for a moment?" He turned his attention back to Madoka. "Tell me, what did she tell you about your condition?"

"That I'm a Vampire now..." Kyosuke chuckled once again.

"Let me tell you something, young Fledgling..." He began as a tall, striking nurse appeared in the door, going to his side. "The most important thing to keep yourself safe, as well as all of our kind. Don't kill when you feed. It's unnecessary, and bloody. Not fun to clean up." I knew full well most, if not all of the hospital staff were Ghouls to Kyosuke, so we could speak freely. "Saiyuri, would you be so kind as to allow this young Cainite a quick meal?" The nurse smiled and bowed deep.

"Of course, Master." She unbuttoned the first two buttons on her blouse and moved her collar away from her neck.

"Remember, Madoka." I spoke plainly to her. "The important thing is to not get greedy, and don't kill. Only what you need to survive." She nodded, and looked at the nurse, who was a bit taller then her. Standing on her toes, she opened her mouth and sunk her fangs into the girl's neck, the nurse reacting little to the action, as if it didn't affect her. Madoka had her head buried in the nurse's neck for only a few seconds before emerging, a trace of blood upon her lips. "Don't forget to lick the wound before you stop." I mused once more, remembering all my Sire had taught me on my first night. Reaching back up, Madoka did as instructed, dragging her tongue across the nurse's wounded neck. Returning to my side, I could see the change in her eyes, the revitalization, the introduction of fresh vitae had given her. She closed her eyes and brought her head back swallowing hard and giving a euphoric sigh.

"I can see it in your eyes, girl..." Kyosuke mused, staring at her intently. "Do you feel it? The blood bubbling up inside you? Making you feel more alive then your first day living? That is what our society is all about right there. You, my dear girl... are a born-again predator." Kyosuke turned to the young nurse, standing politely where she had always been. "Thank you, Saiyuri. You may return to your duties."

"Yes, Master." The nurse responded gently, bowed, and then left.

"It is good you came here tonight, Sayaka..." Kyosuke continued as the nurse closed the door behind her. "I have a slight request that I must make, however unfortunately, my manpower is deplorably low. Would you and your new Childe, perhaps, like to run a small errand for me this night?" He asked simply. "I will, of course, pay you for your trouble. It will be a good learning experience for the young Madoka, and allow her to meet some of this city's Kindred."

I nodded to him. It's not like I felt any obligation to his request. Truth be told, I could have refused him, but I had no plans tonight, so the chance to earn some extra money was not an unwelcome prospect. "Of course. What would you have me do, my Prince?"

"Your task is two-fold. First, I would have you visit the Court of the Amber Queen, the strip club on the other side of the city... you know of it, yes?" I nodded. I've been there a few times and have met the owner of the club. "Speak with the proprietor and get me any information you can on an Assyrian Relic known as the Ankaran Sarcophagus. I heard it was recently sighted in Los Angelos, and I want proof to the fact, or against it." I nodded to him. "Now, I don't believe the Sarcophagus itself is any danger, but I have heard rumors about it that I wish confirmed or denied. If she has any information in regards to it, please let me know." Another nod.

"And for your second task, a Kindred came into this city by boat just this evening. I know little about her, save she is from Los Angeles." I blinked. _Awfully coincidental. _

"She has not done me the honor of announcing her presence in my domain, and I wish to convey a message to her that I would very much appreciate her doing so. Hitomi tells me that she's checked into one of the local hotels, you should start with the Shield Maiden Inn not too far away. No hostilities, if you please. All Kindred are welcome in my city. "

"Will I have a cab waiting?"

"Of course. Fare's been paid, as usual. Give the Amber Queen... my regards." I nodded once more and showed myself out. Madoka waited until we were out of earshot to speak.

"So that's the Prince, huh?" I nodded and turned into the elevator. "Interesting fellow."

"Calm for a Ventrue."

"Ventrue?" I groaned at my stupidity.

"I haven't even covered clans, have I?" She shook her head. "Alright, here's the skinny. There are thirteen major clans and Fuck-If-I-Know how many lesser Bloodlines. Seven of those clans make up what we call The Camarilla. The Camarilla is basically a sect devoted to the preservation of the Masquerade, and by extension, Kindred in general. The Camarilla clans are the Brujah, thugs and bullies who solve all of their problems with brute force; the Gangrel, half-werewolf wanna-be's with a rage issue; Malkavians... I'll cover them later...; Toreador, Kindred who love art, society and not being in a fight; the Ventrue, bureaucrats and businessmen with a head for leadership, but not much else; the Nosferatu... you'll know THEM when you see 'em; and finally, the Tremere. My clan. Yours too. Tremere are... well, we're fun. I don't wanna spoil everything right away."

"You said there were thirteen clans... you only mentioned seven."

"The rest of the clans are either independent... or Sabbat."

"Sabbat?" I sighed at this. Looks like my big-fucking-mouth got me in trouble again.

"Look, I didn't want to dump _all_ of this on you first night, but the more you know the better you can survive. The Sabbat are... well... they're a bit like the Camarilla, except they don't give two shits about the Masquerade. They revel in the fact they've become monsters. They're worthless, but amusing to watch sometimes... like the Three Stooges with chainsaws." I heard the girl at my side giggle at the image. "Yea, won't be laughin' if you meet them. Not the kind of people you invite for dinner with mamma." The elevator opened and we returned to the lobby, hurriedly leaving through the doors, back out into the chilly night. Across the road from us was a yellow cab, the driver's arm hung lazily out the window, a pair of black sunglasses shielding his eyes. He lazily turned to face us as we exited, tipping his glasses up with a finger as we approached.

"Evening." He spoke simply, his Japanese heavily marred by a western tone. "Where are you two ladies off to, tonight?" I knew this driver. He was crass and crude, but he knew very well of my aversion to sunlight.

"We'd like to go to the Court of the Amber Queen." He nodded and let his sunglasses drop back over his eyes.

"Up for a little quality time away from the hustle and bustle of city life, eh? Want to get lost between the stacks, as it were." He was also a massive tease. I nodded as Madoka climbed in the back.

"You could say that." He chuckled to himself and pushed the button on the box beside him, turning it off.

"Fare's free for this one, Prince's orders. I'll be waiting for you outside." As we got settled, he put the car into gear, and drove off.

-Twenty Minutes Later-

One of the advantages of driving at night, is there is significantly less traffic then in the day. A trip that would have taken us forty minutes at the height of rush-hour traffic only took twenty on dead streets. He pulled deftly across from the strip club, parking on the road just before it. I got out, followed by Madoka.

This was not a place I was a stranger to. The sign above the door was that of a beautiful yellow flower in full bloom, several smaller, yet equally beautiful flowers surrounded it. Across the bottom in elegant script was the name of the club, The Court of the Amber Queen. I tapped Madoka's shoulder to get her attention before we went in. "Keep a close eye on your wallet. Really easy to throw all your money away here." I caught her giggle a bit at my words. I just didn't want her to learn like I had to. I was the first in, then Madoka. The girl hit pretty hard by the musky stench of sweat and sex that permeated the building. "What is that stench?" She asked, trying to wave it away from her nostrils.

"Sin." I answered simply. I turned my attention to the clerk behind the desk, her attire (though I am loath to call what she was wearing 'clothes') barely covered anything, save her breasts and groin, the rest of her peachy skin shown with the healthy glow of life. "We'd like to see the Amber Queen, please." I spoke simply. The girl looked us over with a practiced eye before answering in a slow, seductive manner.

"Business or pleasure, beautiful?" She swayed back and forth on her legs, her luscious hips were doing absolutely nothing for me, though I saw Madoka still looking.

"Business, I'm afraid. Tell her it's Sayaka. She'll know who I am." The woman nodded and picked up the phone beside her, pushing a single button.

"Your Majesty, there's two women here looking for you. One goes by the name Sayaka..." She trailed off, her voice never loosing it's subtle, delicate rolls. She nodded and daintily hung the phone back on it's base. "The Amber Queen will see you now. Be respectful during your stay." I bowed a bit.

"Of course. Thank you." I took Madoka's shoulder and maneuveredher towards the back, the girl's eyes bouncing between every person inside, some throwing dollar bills on the stage as half-naked women danced about, all dressed in flower motifs; others sat back and watched one of the Queen's handmaidens dance about on their lap. Personally, I found this place insulting and degrading, but... I'm dead now, what do I care? Opening a door, I lead Madoka through the winding path that was labeled 'The Queen's Chamber', beautiful, decorative wallpaper on the walls, images of dancing flowers and beautiful day landscapes filled the hallway. God damn Toreador. Rub it in I can't see the damn sun again, will ya? We finally reached the chamber, the two women astride the door bowed to us.

"The Queen is expecting you." They spoke in unison, parting to allow us entrance. I pushed one door open, and Madoka pushed the other, the heavy doors closing behind us. The room inside was large and spacious, one large, heart-shaped bed in the middle, the carpet floor was littered with a dozen-dozen petals from various flowers, some red and others blue or white. Across from us, lying on the bed was a figure I knew too well. She was very well endowed, even as far as Mortals were concerned, she would have dwarfed most women. Her one-piece corset barely contained her breasts, her blonde hair – pulled into two drill formations off the sides of her head – sat lazily about her chest and the bed sheets.

"Sayaka Miki." She spoke in a sultry, yet commanding tone. "It's been forever since you graced my Court..." She slowly rose to a sitting position, her hair bounding about innocently. She looked much more mature then most of the Kindred in this city, looking almost late twenties in life. I smiled to her and did a little bow.

"Six weeks, if I'm not mistaken." I answered simply as the woman stood.

"Six weeks and three days... I was beginning to think you were ignoring me." I gave a little scoff at this as she advanced upon us, her walk that of a practiced catwalk model.

"Ignore you? Impossible."

"Ooooh..." She cooed as she got closer. "Who's this?" Her attention was focused on Madoka now. "Another delicious family member straight out of life, are we?" Madoka swallowed hard and bowed.

"Madoka... Kaname... it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Madoka... pretty name... so... _so succulent._" She held her hand out, the pink-haired girl at my side taking it gently. "I... am the Amber Queen... but to you, you may call me by my name. Mami Tomoe... at your service." She gave a flourishing curtsey as she introduced herself.

"Such a pretty name..."

"Of course... could you imagine a Queen with a name of... Michelle...?" More impressive would be a girl with a western name in Mitakihara... "Now... enough of the introductions... I feel your visit is not purely cordial, Sayaka... what does the good Prince have you doing this night?"

"You always see right through me, don't you Mami?" I asked, taking a seat in one of the plush egg chairs situated around the room. "Kyosuke wants to know everything you know about the Ankaran Sarcophagus." She blinked, visibly taken aback by the question.

"I'm afraid, the only thing I do know is it's destroyed." My turn to be surprised.

"Destroyed?"

"Yes... it was discovered in a dig site on the boarder of Iraq and Iran, then shipped, first by caravan, to Shanghai, then it was put on a boat to Tokyo. After Tokyo, it was sent off on a ship known as the Elizabeth Dane, to Los Angeles, in America." Everything keeps coming back to Los Angeles.

"What happened to it after that?" She smiled and chuckled a little, waving her hand in a dismissive fashion.

"It was destroyed in a quote 'terrorist attack' on Downtown LA. I don't know the details after that... but I know someone who does." This piqued my interest.

"Who? Kine?"

"Luckily and unluckily for you, no. She's a Kindred, came to this city at my behest. I have some questions for her, but I didn't realize how hard it would be to _get_ said questions out of her."

"Why? Is she not here? Did she vanish?"

"No. She's Malkavian." I blinked, then slapped my palm to my face.

"Fuck."

"Exactly. If you want that information out of her, Sayaka... _you_ talk to the Lunatic."

"So..." Madoka began. "What's a Malkavian?"

"Malkavians... dearie... are lunatic Kindred." Mami explained gently. "The curse of Caine has twisted them to the point where every single Malkavian on Earth is genuinely, honestly, and irreparably insane. They see things other Kindred cannot, which is frightening to some... I would have had better luck with the girl if she would learn that my name is 'Mami', not 'Breasts'." Madoka and I both chuckled at this. "Anyhow... not that your business is concluded... will you be staying?"

"I'd love to Mami... you know there's nothing I love more then your company, but moonlight's burning, and I need to get that information for the Prince..." Mami nodded, seeming to understand.

"I understand, dear. Go and do your job. If you ever find yourselves at my doorstop, I'll give you two a trip around the world... for free. Think about it. A night with the Queen..." My mind hiccuped to when the last time Mami and I spent the day together... I've never had a harder time getting up.

"I... will certainly make sure to come back. I'll try to see you again before the week's out." She smiled to me, and drew a circle, speared with an arrow over her heart. "Promise." She nodded and moaned a happy little moan.

"I can't wait for it." We started out, but Mami's voice stopped us again. "Oh, I apologize, but I forgot to tell you where the dear girl is staying. She's taken up a haven in that new hotel they built downtown, Labyrinth Heights. She's on floor fifteen. I'm sure she'll let you in if you can prove you're worth her time." I nodded once more to her, thanked her, and showed ourselves out, following the path we took in. Madoka looked as though she had something on her mind, which she finally vocalized when we reached the cab.

"What did she mean by 'curse of Caine'... and when the Prince called me a 'Cainite' earlier..." I turned the the driver, who I knew was okay to speak about this stuff around, and told him to head for the Labyrinth Heights, to which he nodded.

"How well do you know the Bible, Madoka?" She shook her head.

"Very little."

"Well, that's not unexpected. In western and European cultures, the bible has a story about two brothers, Caine and Abel. The story goes that Caine slew his brother Abel in a fit of jealousy, and was cursed by God for his sin. Because he lied to God about the murder, he would never be able to see the light of the sun, and because Mother Earth was forced to feed upon Abel's blood, so will he, forced to feed upon the sons of his other brother, Seth. According to the legend, Caine was also Marked, to prevent his untimely death, and to prevent anyone from slaying him and releasing him from his torment." I paused for a moment to adjust myself in the seat. "Some elder Kindred believe that Caine walks the earth to this day, while others say that he died many, many hundreds of years ago."

"What about you?" Madoka asked. "What do you believe?"

"Anything I can see." I answered plainly. I turned my attention to the coming task. "Now, do you want my honest opinion, Madoka?" She nodded happily. "Don't look too deeply into what this girl says. Don't attempt to translate it, don't put any credit in it. Malkavians are a crapshoot. Some are worth listening to, others aren't. Just... let me talk." She nodded once more.

"Okay."


	3. The Hidden Shadow

Chapter Two: The Hidden Shadow

The start of the ride was quite. Despite how vocal Madoka had been the last few minutes before getting into the cab, she had done a complete about-face and clammed up right promptly. I had an idea what was on her mind, and I can't say I disagreed with her possible thought process. I looked over, taking a chance glance at her, the girl hovering her left hand over where her heart was, a scowl plastered rather prominently on her lips.

"Hey... you alright?" I asked. She looked at me with a stare of mixed feelings, almost as if she was fighting with two possible responses.

"As a matter of fact... no. I'm not." She rubbed her chest more, just over where her heart is. "I'm... angry. I'm very... _very_ angry at you. How long have we known each other, Sayaka? Five years! Five _years_ and you didn't think, once, that our friendship meant anything to you. You didn't think I deserved to know the truth about you. You lied to me, habitually, for five _years_. I have to stumble upon you eating another girl before you tell me the fucking truth." I gave a little sigh at this.

"Madoka..."

"Shut up for a second!" She barked. Couldn't hold the outburst against her, when you think about everything, she was right. "Let me finish, god dammit. You didn't think, for one second, that I could take the truth? Your pale skin, your refusal to eat when I'm buying dinner, and the fact I never see you in the day!" She slumped back into her chair, a smile on her face, one of stupid realization. "I bought those lies... those years of 'go fuck yourself Madoka's and 'you're just a kid Madoka's... did you ever think I would accept you?" I waited patiently. I deserved what she was unleashing on me... but there were a few things she didn't understand...

"May I speak?" I asked sarcastically. At any moment, any waning second I wished, I could shut her up and keep her quiet for as long as I wished, but she needed to vent... needed to know that I'm not the woman she thinks I am. Huffing once and crossing her arms, she nodded. "Thank you." I collected my thoughts and sorted them into the proper order. "First, I wanted to tell you. I really did. One thing stopped me from doing so. That little thing I keep mentioning, that Masquerade."

"What the fuck is the Masquerade!?" I held a hand up.

"Okay. I'm going to lay everything out on the table for you. From the beginning. Thousands of years ago, back when Caine was still around and making Kindred, there was a city. This city was called Enoch. Enoch was the only city where the Children of Caine; Cainites, and the Children of Seth; Kine, co-existed. Kine knew about Kindred, and it was good. However, after the fall of Enoch, a lot of the Kine blamed the Kindred for it's destruction and their subsequent banishment. So, after that little fiasco, most Kine didn't take too well to the knowledge of supernaturals in their midst, so the Kindred hid themselves. It was pretty easy for the first few hundred years, but about three hundred years ago, something changed. The Sabbat. The chuckle-nuts, under the impression that the end of the world was approaching, began to spread, bringing with them knowledge of Kindred to the Kine and... by that extension, the Inquisition." I paused for a second to let this sink in.

"So, with that, the thirteen major clans got together and had a little tea party. At this tea party, they agreed that if the Kine, as a whole, were ever to discover the existence of the Kindred, our kind would end. Die. They would hunt us to extinction. So, they put together something they called The Masquerade. The Masquerade is, in it's simplest form, an understanding that we, as the Supernatural Undead, don't do stupid shit to reveal our true selves to the Kine. The big, important part of that is to not _tell_ the Kine that Vampires walk among them." I paused to let _this_ sink in. I really hoped I was getting to her.

"It's not that your friendship didn't mean anything to me. Quite the opposite. It's _because_ your friendship meant so _god damn much_ to me that I was willing to risk you _hating my guts_ to bring you into this world _with me_." I could see her expression soften with each word I spoke, understanding and an unknown emotion slip in in it's wake. "If I had told you before I had Embraced you... and you fled? If I had taken that chance, if I had thought you could understand the truth... and I was wrong? If you ran, I would have forfeited my life. I couldn't take the risk." Her fist clenched around the over-sized shirt she wore, the pink egg-shaped heat transfer crumpling into her fist.

"I'm sorry..." She spoke simply, her eyes downcast and full of sorrow. I reached over and put a hand on her shoulder softly.

"You don't have to be. If you were in my shoes, and I in yours, my reaction would have been similar." She looked up to me, having shaken the scowl from her lips.

"We've got a while to go... would you tell me about the Clans? All about the clans?" I smiled to her, her about-face refreshing.

"Sure." I nodded. "I'll start with the Camarilla first. The base of the Camarilla is the Ventrue. The Ventrue are, as I stated earlier, aristocrats and bureaucrats. What they lack in combat vigor, they more then make up for in the capacity to lead. I'm not quite fond of them, but even they fill a niche in this night. Then there's the Brujah. Legend holds that eight hundred years ago, the Brujah were philosphers and scholars, followers of knowledge. I don't know where they went so wrong to degrade into the thugs and rabble they are now, but it happened. What they lack in thought capacity, they more then make up for in brute strength. Gangrel... Gangrel and Brujah are a bit on the same frequency, except the Gangrel have found a special way of unlocking the Beast inside them. They can let it out just enough to control aspects of it in combat. You've not seen fury until you've seen a Gangrel in full combat swing.

"Mami put the Malkavians best. Somewhere after Malkav, their founder, each Malkavian is irrecoverably insane. They've got some insight that lets them know things they shouldn't, and it makes a lot of Kindred very uneasy, very nervous. By in large, however, most Malkavians are harmless, unless you give them a reason to be dangerous. Nosferatu... Nosferatu are great at getting information. Most cities cultivate large populations of Nosferatu to act as a information network. Downside? Think of the ugliest thing you can, and multiply it by a factor of ten. All Nosferatu are walking Masquerade Violations, their visage alone enough to scare most Kine half to death. I... personally don't like dealing with the Nosferatu if I can avoid it, but they have more then earned their keep in this world, let me tell you. The Toreador you've already met. Pretty much every Toreador is just like Mami. They adore art, literature, and practically every aspect of mortal life. They're much more in tune with their Humanity and, in effect, Mortal society in general then most of us can ever dream of. Unfortunately, just like the Ventrue, you can count on the a Toreador _not_ being on the front of any struggle, but the rear, manipulating the Mortal population, or something to that effect.

"Then, of course, we come to the Tremere. I can only put our clan one way. We're mages. Yea, not too great in a straight-up brawl, but we command powers most other Kindred stare in awe at. When we get some down time, either tonight or tomorrow night, I'll teach you about Disciplines..."

"What are those?" She asked quickly.

"Disciplines are like... magic powers unique to Vampire clans." Her eyes sparkled like a younger girl.

"Does that mean I'm a magical girl!?" She spoke softly. I couldn't help but laugh at the girl's enthusiasm.

"In a way. These powers are fueled by blood, so if you start getting weak, you know you've used up most of your blood supply."

"If we've the time... would you show me a little?" I did a little calculations in my head, our destination about ten minutes away.

"I can teach you one, maybe two, but it'll have to be quick. I'll teach you the first one taught to me, Blood Purge. Use this at the right time, and you'll have those nasties vomiting up their blood onto the ground."

"Sounds..." She scowled as she thought about a response. "Useful..."

"I know it's not sunshine and rainbows... but we don't live on Candy Mountain, ya know." She nodded a bit at this, though I could still see her apprehension. "Don't worry, pretty soon, this'll all be second nature to you."

-Ten Minutes Later-

I had taught her best I could without having a living subject to test it on, and by the time I was ready to call it, we had arrived at Labyrinth Heights, the tall building piercing Mitakihara's skyline. I stepped out of the cab, followed closely behind by Madoka, and took a look up. The building must have gone up fifty... maybe sixty stories. I couldn't help but feel dwarfed by the tall skyscraper. "This is the place." I mused, shutting the door behind her, Madoka's eyes following mine up to the top. She whistled that impressed whistle.

"Tall building."

"Second tallest in the city." I answered with a nod. We showed ourselves with haste to the front door, slipping in with nary a sound as the door shut behind us. I went straight to the front desk clerk, and got his attention from the key rack across the way by lightly drumming my fingers on the desk, his head pivoting to face me, a smile on his lips.

"Good evening, ladies. May I help you?" He asked sweetly, folding his arms sharply at his waist.

"Yes, actually. I'm visiting a friend here, and the lunatic didn't tell me where she's staying. She's a little weird, maybe says strange things every so often."

"What's her name, ma'am?" I rolled my eyes mentally. _Fuck. Mami didn't give me a name._ I sighed, and resorted to option two. My eyes locked with his, and I felt my heart beat once, the man's eyes glazing over.

"A woman checked in about a week ago. I want her room number and the key." He gave a lazy nod, his head swirling around like a drunk man.

"Of course ma'am..." He grumbled half asleep, going to the key rack, taking three keys. "Three women checked in within the last week..."

"It would have been at night." I continued, the man replacing two keys, handing the third to me.

"Fifty-eighth floor, room eight twelve..." His demeanor was appreciative, the Discipline working wonders on him. I caught Madoka's glare pasted to what I was doing, a smile on her face.

"What did you do to him?" She asked once we were safely sequestered inside the elevator.

"I dominated him. Mortal minds are easy to control and chain."

"Will... he be like that forever?" I chuckled a bit and shook my head, looking over the key.

"No. He'll snap out of it in a few minutes, then forget we were ever here." She exhaled a breath of relief. "That's the greatest things about Mortals, Madoka. They're just as easy to deceive as they are to kill." Her smile slowly faded as she looked to me.

"Hey... Sayaka...?"

"Hm?" I continued, looking at her slightly.

"Did you ever have to do that to me...?" I blinked at this, thinking about my options.

"No?" I answered simply.

"Why was there a question mark at the end of that sentence?" I didn't answer. "Sayaka, why was there a question mark at the end of that sentence, and why don't I like the inflection of the answer?"

"Okay, fine. I had to once... ish."

"Once-ish? Is that once? Or like... ten times?"

"Closer to one... more like three times. You were asking questions that were hitting a bit too close to home, so I made you forget them." She puffed her cheeks up in anger.

"That's not nice." I simply shrugged to this, spinning the key about on my finger, moving a loose blue strand of hair from my eyes.

"Don't have to do it anymore, at least." Her eyes, flat and filled with disappointment, stayed locked to me.

"Not the point..." With a ding, the elevator opened to our stop, the 58 button lit happily at the side of the door, and above it. I motioned her to follow, and proceeded to take the turn towards the room the little signs showed towards room eight twelve. It was just two turns and a couple feet away, and hand poised to the door ready to knock, I heard a voice.

"No, brother." A male spoke. "The demon was here, but fled when we came in." Demon? Only people who could be considered demons were Kuei-jin, or Kindred to the right group... I kept listening. "She took out three of my brothers before she fled, only Saiki and I are left." A longer pause. "Yes, Brother, we will go to this club, then I will tell you all that we have discovered when we return. Go with God."

"Ah shit..." I whispered to Madoka.

"What?"

"Vampire Hunters..."

"Wait... hunters?" I nodded to her question.

"You think we're the top of the food chain, kiddo? We share it with these guys. I don't know how experienced they are, but decent ones are not to be trifled with..." I closed my eyes, my heart pounding once more, and when my eyes opened once again, I could see two white auras through the door. Auspex rocks.

"I see two." I told Madoka, the girl scowling a little.

"How can you-"

"No time." I answered simply, digging into my pocket for the key, previously replaced there absentmindedly. "Look, there's one on the right, and one on the left. I need you to take out the one on the left, okay?"

" 'Take out'? What do-"

"I need you to _kill_ the one on the left. I'll get right." She swallowed hard. I was throwing her into a lot, very fast. I took her shoulders and leveled with her, looking her in the eyes. "Look, I know this is a huge jump... but they will not hesitate to kill you, alright? Right now, you are a stain in their eyes; a stain to be removed. Fight for your life, girl, because that's the real reward here." I watched her swallow hard, a thick lump dislodging from her throat, plinking loudly into her stomach. "Are you ready?" She gave a rough, uncertain nod, but I knew she wasn't getting any more ready just standing in the hall. I unlocked the door with a deaf twist of my wrist.

"Search the room before we return. Brother Haruko is expecting us in half an hour." With a solid push from the door, I busted in, Madoka close on my heels.

"I'm afraid he's going to be disappointed!" I called sternly, both hunters reacting almost instantly, a Katana coming from the back of the one on the right, the left drawing a crossbow. There were two hunters, as I previously saw, in the room, one male, one female. The female one, on the left, drew a bead on me with her crossbow, while the male closed the distance to me with the Katana.

"Oi!" I heard Madoka call, a red pulse radiating from around her. She must have learned more then I thought. Thankfully, most Kindred get a pretty quick grip on some weak Disciplines. Gripping her fist, she tossed a sharp, blood-red bolt at the female hunter as I stepped out of the way of the Katana's blade, letting it slam into the wooden floor. Spinning around, I slugged the male hunter hard in the lower back, causing him to stagger forward. I watched out of the corner of my eye as the female hunter managed to twist her body just enough to dodge the Blood Strike from Madoka.

Recovering, the male hunter lashed out with his elbow, which connected quite fiercely with my forehead, causing me to stagger back. It was all the opening the hunter needed to plunge his Katana blade deep into my stomach. "Sayaka!" I heard Madoka bark as she crouched behind an upturned table, a crossbow bolt lodging into the impromptu shield.

"I'm good..." I groaned, the hunter's hands still fixed firmly to the sword's hilt. Wrapping my powerful fingers around the man's hands, I drove the blade deeper into myself to bring him closer. He struggled, heaved and groaned to retrieve his blade, but I was simply too strong. Madoka popped her head out from the table long enough to fire another Blood Strike at the female hunter, who took it in the leg, causing her to crumple over for a second. Seizing her opportunity, the pink-haired girl bolted from behind the table and vaulted over the couch to reach her. Grappling the crossbow in her hands, she struggled with the female hunter for dominion over the weapon. The pair struggled for a few precious seconds before a malicious smile crossed Madoka's lips, the girl putting the teachings I gave her in the car to use, the female hunter looking suddenly deathly ill. Her cheeks puffed up like a squirrel as she instinctively released the crossbow, covered her mouth with her hands, doubled over and spewed a painful spout of pure red vomitus from her mouth. From this distance, from my point of view, I could only imagine the amount of gut-wrenching (literally) pain she must be in. Snapping to face me, Madoka leveled the crossbow and fired, the weapon's heavy frame causing her bolt to go wide, ripping into the hunter's side, merely grazing him.

He gave a growl as he turned to see who shot him, the grinning girl holding the heavy crossbow. He dropped his guard for just long enough for me to give a sharp whistle to regain his attention. Rearing my head back, I gave him a powerful headbutt, which connected with his forehead the moment he faced me. The force of the impact, combined with the fact it was unexpected, caused him to release the Katana and stagger backwards.

I groaned as the blade slid out of the sheath it had made in my body, bypassing most of my organs. Retrieving the weapon, I flicked it, knocking my blood to the ground to clean the steel. I took a powerful step forward and impaled the hunter in a similar fashion to how he had me, save my strike hit center mass, his face contorting into a mix of pain and surprise. He slowly fell to his knees, then to his side as her removed himself, unintentionally, from the blade. I turned my attention to the female hunter, who was almost recovered from her spout of violent illness, shooting daggers into Madoka's side. I motioned to her with the Katana, causing Madoka to return her focus there, just in time to block a Katana strike with the stock of the crossbow. Since she had fired the one bolt that was loaded in the bow, she had no other way of firing it, the weapon now a glorified club.

I watched the pair spar about the room, the hunter slashing wildly at Madoka, who managed to block each hit with relative ease. I couldn't help but see the hunter's blue eyes... that fact sticks with me, because for a vampire hunter, her eyes were so kind and compassionate... not filled with hatred and zeal like the rest... I couldn't help but watch as the hunter's blue eyes darted from her target to me, then back to Madoka. God knows what's going through _her_ head. Madoka managed to read the hunter's motions, and during a fore-arm strike from the Hunter, Madoka answered by delivering her own powerful block with the crossbow, the sword spiraling out of the hunter's hand, lodging into the wall a good few feet away. Dropping the crossbow like a sack of bricks, Madoka seized the opportunity to leap onto the hunter, pinning her hands between the cotton-candy haired girl's powerful, undead thighs, force her neck to the side, and sink her teeth into her neck.

"'Atta girl." I spoke to her, taking a few steps towards the paralyzed hunter. "Oh... remember when I said not to drain them?" I put my head right next to both of theirs, so they both heard my next words. "You can forget that with this one." As if claimed by the rapacious Beast itself, Madoka growled at my words, and continued to drink. With each passing second, the hunter grew weaker, her eyelids slowly starting to close on those kind and compassionate eyes as her legs gave way, falling onto the couch as Madoka continued to drink.

It wouldn't take long for the lifeless hunter to fall to the couch, eyes closed in a serene fashion, Madoka leaping off her.

"I... killed her..." She spoke, her voice a bit uneasy. "I... just kept sucking... until I was sucking on a dead artery..." I put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it a bit before smiling. "Does that... bring me closer to the Beast?" I shook my head.

"You killed her in self-preservation. The Beast doesn't feed on that."

"But... but! You said don't kill when you feed!"

"Ah!" I corrected her. "I said don't kill _innocents_. Some Psycho Bitch draws a sword on you, you drain her dry, skin her, then leave her hung up on the nearest roof top. Self-preservation is a vital part of Humanity, you know." I could see the fear in her eyes subsiding. She took a deep, deep breath (thought I suspect it was more symbolic then anything) and nodded.

"Okay... okay, I got it." I rubbed her back to calm her down.

"You did very, very good today. It's not easy the first time you kill someone, is it?" She shook her head and I patted her once more on the back. "Don't worry about it. If you had killed her faster, I'd have been worried..." I looked about the room. "Alright, pick up that crossbow and the Katana, make sure you grab that girl's bolts, too. Check the room for anything of interest." She gave a shaky nod and retrieved the crossbow and katana, while I took the katana sheath from the dead hunter and fixed it to my belt, storing the weapon away. As Madoka walked into the bathroom, where I could see the legs of a hunter lying in a pool of blood, I went upstairs to find two more dead there (one hanging over the railing, drained of all blood, and the second with his head smashed so far into a wall, he was probably in the hotel room next door)

I went about the grisly business of searching the bodies for anything useful in this lavish, massive hotel, before coming to the phone of the hunter who was hanging over the railing. Rooting through his texts, I found his orders.

"Follow the demon from Los Angeles and acquire anything and everything you can, then follow the two demons to the strip club on Mikashira Avenue, and join up with your sisters."

Mikishira? If I could pale any more, I would have. "Madoka, we got to go! They're heading to the Court next!"

"What about the Kindred who was supposed to be here?" She asked.

"Forget her, we need to protect Mami!" I thundered down the stairs and collected Madoka, heading to the elevator. Madoka looked over herself and me, my black jeans and blue Genitorturers t-shirt looked rather odd, I imagine, with a Katana sheathed at my side.

"Should we be walking around like a couple of action movie stars?"

"Welcome to modern night Mitakihara, Madoka. No one looks funny at two girls with swords. Just don't discharge anything in public, and you can write yourself off as a LARPer." I heard her groan.

"If we're going to go incognito, can we at least not do it as a LARPer?"

"Plenty'ovem in the city." Was the only response I could give her. She gave another groan and situated the crossbow on her back, the sling on the underside of it resting quietly on her shoulder. Bolting out of the elevator, we made haste back to the cab, throwing ourselves in. "Back to the Court of the Amber Queen. Run red lights if you have to!" I commanded, the man in the driver's seat giving a salute.

"Yes, ma'am!" He didn't wait for us to buckle in completely, the engine roaring and tearing off into the night.

-Fifteen Minutes Later-

We arrived back at the Amber Queen's Court five minutes ahead of schedule. After exiting, I took stock of the club. Good news, is it still stood. "Alright, keep calm, and look casual." Madoka nodded to my advice, and we repeated our entrance proceedure, informing the clerk we were looking for the Amber Queen. Casually making our way back through the club, I looked about, a few strange glances meeting my eyes from several of the patrons, and a suspicious pair of women sitting in a booth in the far corner. We were ushered into the Amber Queen's chambers once more, the woman just finishing a phone call, she turned to us looking miffed, her lips curled into a smile of controlled anger.

"I see you did a fine job leading a pack of hunters into my club." Her voice didn't betray her true feelings, her tone a constant sultry locution, as if nothing happened.

"My apologies, Your Majesty." I answered simply. "It wasn't my intention. The plus side, is now there's two less."

"This is true... but there are still two hunters in my club... waiting for their friends." She paused, noting the Katanas and crossbow. "Friends who I'm sure you insured wouldn't be coming, correct?" A nod. "Good. I need you to take care of these two, as well." Madoka's hand fell to her katana. "But... I can't have you killing them." I scoffed.

"Dammit, Mami. Stop pulling the freakin' Toreador card, and let me just kill them!" I bickered with her, sick of her clan's damn anti-killing dogma.

"It's not that, Sayaka. Hunters I have no problem killing... I just don't want to cause any unwanton chaos in my club. If you can get these hunters outside, by all means kill them if you want, but I won't have you spilling any blood on my carpets." She paused for a moment. "There are two of them, as I said. Women. One's got black hair, her face plastered with a permanent scowl. The second's got red hair and a pony tail. I just got off the phone with Kyubey a few moments ago. He says these two are experienced. _Very_ experienced. Get that, Sayaka? You would have trouble with one of them. My advice to you? Get rid of them without a fight. Sit down and confront them. They're not likely to start anything in front of civilians." She paused for a moment, then continued.

"Oh... and if you could... get the redhead to pay her bill. She's been ordering everything off the menu, and I'd prefer the books are balanced by daybreak." I nodded.

"Come on, Madoka. Let's talk to a couple of hunters." I could see the nervousness in her eyes, and taste the hesitation in her words as she said okay. After stepping from the hall, I spied the mentioned two sitting in the corner, the suspicious pair from earlier. Striding between the tables and dancers, we took our seats across from our guests.

"Evening." I spoke simply, slinging my arm around the back of the plush bench. The first, the one with raven hair, spoke first, the second continued to stuff her face with a bowl of pretzels jammed betwixt her legs.

"Good evening, Kindred." The raven haired one spoke simply, no hint of anything in her words, her voice so deadpan it made me seem alive.

"So there's no use us pussyfooting around then. The owner wants you out."

"God wants you out." The second spoke between pretzels. "We're at an impasse." My eyes darted to the long pole to the second hunter's left, tipped with a razor-edged barb. A spear of impressive craftsmanship, most likely bathed in holy water, and whatever else they can think of to give them a perceived edge against us. The red head's short denim jacket and shorts certainly didn't look like formal wear, they mixed perfectly with the club atmosphere. The first narrowed her eyes at us.

"You have Brother Ritsuke and Sister Saiki's blood on you... I take it you killed them?"

"You're perceptive for a fanatic." I mused, cracking my knuckles behind Madoka's head, the girl staying silent for the trade off. "Your friends stumbled onto a pair of scissors that, unfortunately, cut their already fairly short lifeline even shorter... how does it feel to know that all I have to do is survive for another couple decades, and you'll be too old and frail to do anything?"

"How does it feel to know that when you do eventually meet your judgment, there's no room in heaven for you, and you'll be eternally burning in hell?" I gave a little shrug at the redhead's rebuttal and a small smile followed.

"About the same as I feel when I put my hand over my heart." I rolled my head back to look at the ceiling. "Nothing." The raven haired hunter folded her fingers before her, resting her chin on the newly created bed, staring at me.

"You throw away your humanity so callously, demon."

"Quite the opposite, actually. I'm probably more in tune with my humanity then you are." I took another jab. The raven haired one cracked a subtle smile, and reached into her jacket pocket.

"I want to show you something."

"Last time I heard that, I died." I continued. The raven haired woman drew a pistol from her jacket and placed it on the table, the barrel pointed away from anyone. "Nice piece."

"Thank you." She spoke simply. "It's an import. Ever since World War II, it's been nearly impossible to get weapons in this country... America, however... has places in most major cities where you can get any weapon you want from a fat black guy in a basketball jersey out the back of a U-Haul. This is custom." I took a closer look at the pistol, the weapon clearly very heavy, probably firing fifty cal rounds. "I call her Walpurgis."

"What kind of whacko names her gun?"

"Call me what you will, Kindred, but this gun has ended more of your kind then I can count. It is as much a part of me then anything." I nodded to her.

"Impressive." I heard Madoka exhale. The raven haired one turned her attention to Madoka, almost like she hadn't noticed her until now.

"You're young, are you not?" The raven haired one shook her head. "And don't lie to me. I can smell your inexperience."

"W-what's it to you?" Madoka continued, carefully judging her answer.

"What ran through your head when this demon consumed the blood God graced you with upon your birth, only to force you to cannibalize God's other creations to sustain your miserable existence?"

"Nagajal." I droned simply, all three parties staring at me with queer, confused looks. "Nagajal... Flesh Eaters. We're not Nagajal." The red head stared at me, silently chastising me for my intrusion.

"What... went through my head?" Both hunters nodded. Madoka thought for a moment. "At first... I was scared. Like my worst living nightmare had been with me for years... and then I was angry. I was angry at what she did... but now?" She paused for a moment, and looked at me with a truly unique stare, her pink orbs lighting up for the first time since she's joined the world below, and she smiled. "I feel like I owe her a debt I can never repay... she's shown me so much in just a day... done so much for me... and I have a feeling she'll keep doing so much for me."

"Then you are truly lost." The raven haired hunter droned in that droll she so loved, snatched the pistol from the table and stood. "Come, sister. We are wasting our time here." The other nodded and stood along side, snatching her spear up and heading towards the door.

"W-wait!" Madoka shrilled, stopping both hunters. "My... my name's Madoka... What's yours?" They paused... long... very long. Almost deliberately long. After a good forty seconds, the raven haired woman spoke a very rehearsed speech.

"When you stand before God, and are finally judged... tell Him it was Homura Akemi, and Kyouko Sakura who sent your damned souls to the Lake of Fire."

"Yea!" The redhead spoke, giving us a thumbs up. "You might get a group discount!"

"Kyouko..." Came the first's voice, addressing the crass redhead.

"Right. Coming." Homura and Kyouko... I watched the pair slide effortlessly through the crowd, towards the door, hearing it vaguely slam shut past the din of chatter and music in the club. I looked at Madoka, confused for a change myself. She's an interesting person. So sweet and kind, even to people who would sooner see her dead then give her the time of night. They offer threats and idle chatterings of things they understand nothing about, and she offers them her name, freely. I blinked thrice before Madoka's smile brought me back.

"Hey... are you okay, Sayaka?" She asked innocently.

"Yea... come on, we need to tell Mami that her club is clear." She gave a little happy grunt and a nod as I pried myself from the cheap vinyl benches, starting towards Mami's room.


End file.
